Extra information about Philosophy Opportunities and Involvement

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There are many ways to incorporate what you learn in the classroom to involvement on and off campus. From clubs and competitions, to research and international study, you will find a variety of outlets to utilize the critical and analytical thinking, argumentative writing and detailed reading comprehension you will be learning.

Having an internship experience is one of the top reasons graduates are hired following graduation. Recognizing this, Simpson places a high value on making sure all our students have the opportunity to participate in this important component of their education.

Studying philosophy provides you with versatile and transferable skills that employers value. Simpson's close proximity to Des Moines, one of the most dynamic cities in the Midwest, provides many opportunities for you to practice what you are learning and, at the same time, explore different career options. Your philosophy professors, along with the Career Development Office, will assist you preparing for and locating meaningful internships.

Recent internships have included the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Dwolla Corporation and the Center for Rural Affairs, State of Nebraska.

Our professors are committed to promoting student research. You won't just study philosophy. You will become philosophers by doing original research, attending conferences - often with your professors - and participating in on-going philosophy/applied philosophy/ethics reading groups on campus.

One of the benefits of attending Simpson is that many of our students can double or even triple major, exposing them to a wide variety of disciplines and areas of study. Understanding the importance of interdisciplinary learning, the philosophy department allows you to do research in other disciplines as well. At a larger university, there would likely be no opportunity for crossover research.

Research opportunities are abundant at Simpson. You can be a part of a research project during the year, participate in a summer-long research opportunity on campus or find an off-campus project from which you think you could benefit. Each year, the Simpson community celebrates student research at the Research and Creativity Symposium where you are able to showcase and present your research in a variety of methods and venues.

A good example of a student-involved research project is the Palmer amaranth project. Starting in 2015, a summer project began that included the study of Palmer amaranth, a noxious weed that has done great damage in the southeastern United States and is moving into the Midwest. Simpson students, together with faculty members, have continued this work and it has now become a year-round project, creating models to detect the weed's path and to inform farmers what steps they can take to curtail the spread.

The research is gaining momentum. Simpson has received outside funding for expanding the scope and student participants have had the opportunity to present their research findings at conferences around the region.

One of the ways the philosophy department produces creative, thoughtful students is by encouraging you to, literally, put yourself out there. Studying abroad, whether it is for three weeks during May Term, a semester or an entire year, puts you in a place outside your comfort zone and encourages you to broaden your mind and think differently about the world and your place in it.

Reading Immanuel Kant? Why not brush up on your German and head to Kaliningrad? Tackling de Beauvoir? Get out your French-to-English dictionary and travel to Paris. If English is your only language so far, London provides a unique cultural experience.

If you study philosophy at Simpson, you may find that participating in Ethics Bowl is a great outlet for honing your skills and putting into practice what you learn in the classroom.

Ethics Bowl is a competitive forum where a moderator asks two teams questions that pose an ethical problem on topics ranging from professional ethics to social and political topics. You are then scored by a panel of judges on your responses both to the question and one another. It involves having a solid understanding of the issues, being able to think on your feet and speaking clearly and convincingly.

Simpson's Sustainability Club was formed with the goal to raise the Simpson community’s awareness about environmental issues. Members have conducted a variety of projects since their establishment including Simpson’s current recycling program, a full-scale prairie restoration, adopting a highway and obtaining funding for hydration stations.

If you study environmental ethics or just have a concern about the environment and human's affect on it, you will find like-minded students eager to make a difference in Sustainability Club.